MANHEIM, Pa. - Lehigh's Audrey Jimenez has been named the NCAA Women's Wrestler of the Year and North Central's Riley Rayome has been named the NCAA Women's Rookie of the Year, as announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Tuesday.

This is the inaugural year for the awards, coming off of 2026 being the inaugural year for an NCAA National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship.

Jimenez, the 2026 NCAA National Champion at 110 pounds, is a freshman for the Mountain Hawks. She closed out her season with an unblemished 22-0 record en route to her title, including taking a Region 2 championship as well. 

"Audrey is an awesome kid," Lehigh Head Coach Brazel Marquez said. "She is very selfless, very humble, and very hard working. She has an incredible drive to be a top academic student as well."

Rayome, also a freshman, was the 2026 NCAA National Runner Up at 117 for North Central. She closed out her first year with the Cardinals with a record of 27-6, including a Region 4 championship.

"Riley is the total package," North Central Head Coach Joe Norton said. "She is a winner, and she is extremely hard working in everything she does. She is a 4.0 student and spends multiple hours a day in the wrestling room. She is an outstanding teammate and her character is unmatched. She is incredibly deserving of this honor and she has a very bright future in the sport."